I have a problem similar to the person with the Yorkie that scream. My 8 week old Siberian husky female screams bloody murder every time she is confined. This isn't Husky howling either, it's sibilant screaming, whining, and howling all mixed in and at pitches that have left me with headaches after about five minutes of it.

We have been trying to crate train her (crate is a large dog crate,but we have been using the provided partition to make sure she is nice and snug)for the last few days, and before that she was being locked in the washroom when we were going to be away for a few hours. The first time I came home I could hear her from the street as soon as I got out of the car.

I'm not really sure what the problem is though, shes reasonable bright and is already nearly house trained after a week. Could this be due to the breeder selling the puppy after only six weeks? I've been told that's fairly young.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I have two younger cats as well. They are both around 8 months but are pretty good to the puppy. The orange one actually usually tries to make sure Lexi is ok when he is whimpering or screaming.

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/900/p1140105bb6.jpg

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/3959/p1140114ot8.jpg

jessi76

January 24th, 2008, 11:45 AM

believe me, i've heard screaming. my dog is a basenji mix, and he can do the basenji yodel/scream.

8 wks is still very much a baby! don't expect too much from an 8wk old pup. leaving an 8wk pup for hours may be too much. good rule of thumb (especially w/ crating) is crate (or leave alone & confined) for # of hours as how many months old. 8 wks = 2mths = 2 hrs.

most likely the dog doesn't scream like that too long after you're gone. and if you are unsure, set up a recorder, or ask a neighbor to keep an ear out. most dogs whine/cry/howl/yell for 10-15 min after you're gone. and they can hear you pull up (come home) so they start up again.

chances are she's learning that screaming gets her something. gets her attention. even yelling at her to stop or scolding her is still attention, albeit negative attention.

practice when you are home. crate or confine her for 1 min. reward IN the crate and only open the door when she's quiet. (she may be quiet for only a split second, so be ready to let her out!) the point is to reward for being confined, and released when being quiet.

btw - she's cute!!

VinnieJones

January 24th, 2008, 11:58 AM

Heh, I didn't even have to ask the neighbour. The first day she was in the washroom I came home after 2 hours to find a note on our door asking if our dog was hurt since she had been screaming non stop since we had left.

Even when it's at night and she is in the room she won't stop. I listened to 90 mins of it last night and probably won't be the most fun person to be around today. Doesn't even matter if we are starting right at her while she is in it, those lungs are going.

poodletalk

January 24th, 2008, 12:10 PM

I had the exact same problem with my husky mix pup! I had her in a spare bedroom and neighbours could hear her screaming from outside. Till this day, she's still very vocal even though she's no longer confinded.

When my dog starts getting very vocal,I know she wants something. She wants us to play with her, she can't reach her ball or she wants outside.

People say the screaming is away to get attention, if you give into it, you are giving her own way.

When your pup is not confinded and starts screaming, what are you doing? Are you ignoring her or playing with her.

CearaQC

January 24th, 2008, 12:14 PM

Get some Kongs and stuff them with kibble and hide something extra special in the hole, and top off with a biscuit. Have pup sniff that and toss it in, close the door. Pup will smell tasty goodies and will want inside. Open crate, allow pup to go in and close door.

Pup will then be busy with Kong, chew away, and hopefully fall asleep.

Try to create positive experiences with the crate.

It's also helpful to leave the door open to the crate when it's not being shut with pup inside. Pup will learn that is it's own special "room" and later on will walk in to sleep by itself.

VinnieJones

January 24th, 2008, 12:15 PM

That's the thing, she doesn't really scream unless she's in the crate. She might bark once or twice but that is usually enough to get either me or the cat running to her. Hmmm. but still, essentially non-stop when she is in the crate? It's unbearable in the bedroom, and I'm not sure I would have even been able to sleep if she was elsewhere in the house.

VinnieJones

January 24th, 2008, 12:16 PM

Get some Kongs and stuff them with kibble and hide something extra special in the hole, and top off with a biscuit. Have pup sniff that and toss it in, close the door. Pup will smell tasty goodies and will want inside. Open crate, allow pup to go in and close door.

Pup will then be busy with Kong, chew away, and hopefully fall asleep.

Try to create positive experiences with the crate.

It's also helpful to leave the door open to the crate when it's not being shut with pup inside. Pup will learn that is it's own special "room" and later on will walk in to sleep by itself.

Ooh, good idea. I'll run off to a petsmart or something later on and see what I can grab her more fun stuff. Thanks!

tonkamcd

January 27th, 2008, 02:24 PM

I've also heard from others that having their dog's food and water bowls in the crate when they're home helped their dog get used to going in the crate, they just took the food and water out when the dog had to be crated when they had to leave and such, im not sure if that really applies to this situation or not, but maybe it would help her associate good things with the crate

white wrabbit

January 27th, 2008, 03:01 PM

oh a ticking alarm clock might help as well will simulate the mother heart beat.. you can place just out side of the kennel, have you though about a stuffed kennel mate? some times that helps.

kiara

January 27th, 2008, 03:21 PM

I don't know if your puppy was sold at too young an age? Some breeders are not very professional and they only think about making money. This is the perfect time to get a dog trainer, since your puppy is so young. ( I have several friends with big and unruly dogs and they refuse to get them trained???) There really is a big difference between trained and untrained dogs. Good luck and let us know what happened.

chico2

January 27th, 2008, 03:52 PM

Vinnie(my white cats name) I know nothing about puppies,but just wanted to say,she is adorable and I hope it will be more peaceful in the future:fingerscr

BabyTila

January 29th, 2008, 09:14 PM

Hey
This site is great I posted my problem on here (my puppy screams like a coyote!) and I got great answers from ppl. Now my puppy is 13 wks old and yes I know the ppl who posted all the very helpful tips are going to shake their head at me BUT after 2wks of leaving her in the xpen in my bedrm I had to let her out she kept screaming and we live an apartment so I took the chance and 'sigh' let her loose in our bedrm when we went out or to work. I puppy proofed everything and I tried the first time for about 5mins and then slowly built it up and now she stays in there while we're both at work and she's great! No one has complained, the supers say they never hear her and she hasn't chewed anything (yet) lol. I give her frozen kongs, leave the radio on and give her "special" toys for times when we're at work or out without her and she is doing really really well, surprisingly. But I know that that will not work for every puppy. My puppy climbed out of her pen and I was very worried she was going to end up killing herself b/c she got so crazy and climbed the tall cage.
I would keep trying, make sure she has kongs and only certain special toys that you leave with her when you're gone and then take them away when your home. Also I have 2 cats as well almost a year old and I leave them in the livingroom and shut the bedroom door b/c I found that when we tried to have her in her cage the cats would almost "dance" around her as if teasing her that she was locked up lol

Sorry not much help but that was my experience with the screaming puppy issues.

P.s. Your puppy is too cute!

Good Luck:thumbs up

akayladog

February 29th, 2008, 08:23 PM

hi i am in the same boat with crate training our siberian huskey, she freaks out and tryies to eat the kennel, we have a large wire bar kind that she can grow into. so right now she is there for about 30 seconds before she freaks out. so i think we are in the same boat, how is going with yours?

breyeguy

March 2nd, 2008, 09:42 PM

More power to you! Our pup whined like that for two nights full nights when we got her and We'd thought we'd made a terrible mistake in getting her! She did a lot better for 8 months, and is starting up again a bit.